The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-09-29
THE PENSION BUREA


important recommendations maze Dy the C0m.
missioner Of Pensions in His Annual Report.
Gen. j.. C. Black, commissioner OF pen.
sions, in his ANIMAL report to the secretary
Of the interior, states that during the past
quarter Of q century the bureau OF PEN
aions has developed from an inconsider-
| able Office to one whose clientage is unsur.
| passed in numbers, and that this develop.
ment has rendered necessary great and
| radical changes and a reorganization in the
| methods of the bureau. The suggestions
Of tho commissioner are important, and
| are as follows:
First-The allowance Of 50 per month
inadequate for their support and should
be increased to IS per month. -
Second-That the act OF June is, 1880,
be so amended as to permit amendment OF
the act to he extended to those who, sui.
sequent to the date OF it's approval, from
| aggravation OF their malady, may have
become helpless.
Third-That the existing law that a wild.
owls pension certificate can only beardate
from the day on which she files her appli.
cation should be amended to allow the
commencement of the pensionto date from
the death of the husband; the other condi-
tions required by the law being present.
Fourth-That section Ais of the Re-
vised Statutes be SO amended as to pro.
hibit the payment OF more than n PEN
sion to the same person.
Fifth-That the law inquiring a pension
to be graded according to the ran Of the
claimant at the time the injury was receiv.
ed should be amendedso that the rank subse.
quently acquired BONA fide may be consdi-
cred by the commissions in determining
the amount OF pension to be allowed.
Sixth-That the present rate for deaf
ness should be increased by law to $50
per month for total deafness, with inter-
mediate grades to be determined according
to the degee OF disability.
Seventh-That discretion should be lodg-
ed in the commissioner in correcting dis
~crepancies in rates OF pension for loss of
limbs. or congress should be asked to es-
tabIish O table OF rates for loss of limbs.
The existing laws upon this point are in
harmonious and unjust. There is no SUI
ficient reason why, if the amputation Of a
leg at the hip.joint entities a claimant to
J $45 per month, the loss of q leg and arm
| should together be rated at but $50. II
again $45 be taken as a proper pension
for q leg amputated at the ~hip-ioint. then
the disability for performing manual labor
from the loss of the foot and the hand
should be graded at a less figure. There are
instances in which the lose OF a single limb
ia an entire disablement for the perform
ance of manual labor in consequence Of
tQ0 nervous duu OGueE alllICGlOuS WLICA
follow. There are certainly many in
stances in which the loss of two members
OF the body is followed by an equally great
disability.
Eighth-That the law be amended so
that the commissioner shall be authorized
to pay the pension to the wife OF a pen
sioner or to a suitable person on behalf OF
his children when the habits OF the pen.
sioner show him to be an unfit person to
receive or disburse the pension.
.Ninth-That an appropriation OF SIS.
900 be made to defray the expenses OF adj
ditional necessary pension agencies.
Tenth-That an additional clerical force
be allowed to enable the commissioner,
without making extra demands Upon the
clerks now in the service, to complete and
satisfy. the Mexican pension claims, OF
which 5000 have been allowed since the
passage of the act.
There were at the close OF the year 4O6,-
OO7 pensioners. There were added to the
rolls during the year the names of 1914
new pensioners, and the names OF 2,7O7
whose pensions hadibeen previouslydropped
were restored to the rolls. During the
same period the names CT 1877
pensioners were dropped from the rolls. The
The aggregate annual value OF all pensions
is $50, 1924, 641, an increase Tor the year
of So, 116, 633. The amount paid for pen.
sions during the year was $73, 465, 5S1, an
increase over the previous year of 50, 669,
$50. The amount paid to 44,019 new
pensioners during the year upon first pay
men was $25, 166, 500. During the year
IS, 1914 original certificates were issued, a
greater number than was ever before is-
sued by the bureau in any one pear. The
estimates for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1887, aggregate $79, ODE, $50. The ap-
preparation for the last fiscal year was
S$7, 7O1, $50.